Guruguru mawaru
by Megan J. Forest
Summary: Yuuko is missing since... Watanuki doesn't want to count. He keeps himself occupied with various works, while keeping contact with the Doumeki family. He is constantly searching for Yuuko, grabbing every little word about witches. He is waiting for a sign, or anything...
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Shoes.

Two big brown shoes accompanied by four small sandals.

The big brown shoes had neat, black socks, but the tiny sandals had untidy white ones. One of them was reversed, the embroidered flower's back side was shown, instead of the flower.

Footsteps.

Big ones and small ones.

Big slow steps followed by small, brisk, hurrying ones on the grey pavement. Cars kept passing as they walk in the crowd. On a corner the six feet changed direction, following their way on a more placid street. But the silent street seemed more troublesome, than the previous crowded one. One of the owner of the tiny sandals stumbled, and fell to her knees. One of her knees were bruised, so the little girl started to cry.

"What is it this time? " asked the impatient owner of the big brown shoes, but the little girl didn't answer, just kept up crying.

Her sandals suddenly vanished, but this time the other girl also started to cry, to object to the treatment of the big man.

"Not now, please! I will be late! This is an important exam!"

The man pleaded to her, but nothing changed, the other little girl refused to calm down. Moments later the other two sandals were also lift up, and both girls became silent.

The big brown shoes finally started to run, as they pleased.

They were running beside old buildings, shiny new stores, and office-blocks, until an incongruous black wooden fence was reached. At the gate the brown shoes turned into the stony road, and stopped.

"I … have … a … wish … " panted to the sleepy man, standing on the veranda of the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Watanuki Kimihiro woke up so suddenly in the morning, he didn't even know where he is for a few seconds. He didn't dream or work, just slept so deep and peacefully, that's why he didn't want to wake up so early. But an urgent sign of a presence made him sit up in his bed. Since he got out of the bed, Maru and Moro were also about to wake up.

"Watanuki" said Maru sleepily.

"What's the matter, Watanuki?" asked Moro.

"Nothing" answered simply the young man. "Sleep!"

"Where do you go, Watanuki?" asked the two girls in unison.

"I stay here. It is just a small disturbance" said the man, and kissed the girls' foreheads, one after the other. "Sleep! It is too early to wake up."

"Aye" answered the girls in a small voice, as they dropped off to sleep again.

Watanuki sighed, stretched for a bit, and grabbed the pipe, as he walked out of the house.

"Slow as always" greeted him an indignant voice on the veranda.

"Also good morning to you, Ame-Warashi" smiled for the always angry spirit. "Although, it is only dawn."

"I am not here to discuss about geographical facts" grunted the rain spirit.

"Do you have a wish?" asked Watanuki professionally, but somehow felt, the rain spirit doesn't have any.

"I am just a runner" she declared, while sucking her nose.

Watanuki stayed silent and calm. Through the years Ame-Warashi couldn't get to like him at all. No, she was never hateful, just she was never friendly toward him. So they stared to each other in silence for a while.

"I still don't understand why she likes you" sighed in the end. "She also has fears for you."

"I am well. Very well" smiled Watanuki to the saddened spirit.

"You won't be…"

With a concerned look in her eyes, the spirit stretched her arm, and opened her palm. Watanuki curiously watched what was in her hand. At first. A second later his pale skin became whiter, ghost-like. The item was a mangy, originally black, crescent moon-shaped piece of metal. He knew the medal very well. He saw that many times. So many times! He sure knew whose medal was it.

"Where…" started to ask, but his voice broke in the middle of the sentence. Though the spirit understood him.

"Koryo country" stated simply." It is said, it was sold by a mudlark."

"Yuuko-san?" asked Watanuki trustingly. The spirit shook her head.

"There were no trace of her. The seller was a dirty kid, who hasn't even got a name. In Koryo he was an ordinary mudlark. We don't know whether he stole it or found it."

Watanuki's hopeful face darkened after this piece of information.

"Zashiki-Warashi send this to you as a payment for rescuing her" said the rain spirit, while trying to put the medal further toward Watanuki.

"It is too much…" refused the sad, troubled man.

"She is worried about you" Ame-Warashi shook her head. "She knows…"

"…that I will travel to Koryo" Watanuki finished the sentence.

Ame-Warashi nodded. The man didn't say a word for a while. His emotions overloaded, and silenced him. He carefully took the medal from the spirit, clenched his fingers around it and hugged to his chest.

"Tell her, I am thankful" whispered.

"Don't you dare to die" Ame-Warashi trained her umbrella to Watanuki's chest.

"I am not planning to die" smiled Watanuki to the spirit, as he regained his composure. "Wait a minute, please!" told her and went into the house. He returned few minutes later with a cloth-wrapped box in his hand, and gave that to the rain spirit.

"What is it? "

"Ohagi. "

"Ohagi? " Echoed the surprised woman. "Why did you make Ohagi? Aren't them for acknowledgment for employers?"

"Well, it is true. I don't have an employer for a while "saddened Watanuki. " But Mokona, Maru and Moro like them. That' why every year at this time I always make a pile of Ohagi."

"So…I understand" said the spirit, and first time in her long life she was unable to retort with some rude words.

"They are for Zashiki-Warashi" smiled Watanuki for her. "She also likes Ohagi, doesn't she?"

"No matter how many years passed by, you are always a dolt" snored the woman. "You are the same. Exactly the same."

"I also put your portion into the box, and there are some for the Karasu Tengu guys" smiled Watanuki.

"Bye, Watanuki Kimihiro" Ame-Warashi opened her umbrella.

"Glad to see you" answered Watanuki.

"Koryo's rainbow necklace would be a great exchange gift for her, don't you think?" asked the woman with an evil grin on her face.

The next moment waved her umbrella and covered Watanuki with a huge splash of rainwater. She went up toward the sky, while laughing on the soaked man.

"It is rumoured, Fei Wong Reed is also in Koryo country!" Echoed her voice, but at that minute she was already nowhere to see.

"Thanks for the information" whispered Watanuki.

He became a bit angry for the rain spirit for the sudden shower, but somehow he was also thankful. The water helped him wake up and cool down at the same time. When he finally get a tiny chance to see Yuuko, he immediately wanted to travel to Koryo. But that step would have been the worst, absent-mindedly starting off. He needed a plan, packing a few things, and taking care about the house and Mokona.

"When do you leave?" asked suddenly Mokona. Watanuki was so immersed in his thoughts, that this soft-voiced question was enough to jump him out of his wet pajamas.

"Have you heard everything, Black Dumpling?"

"Most of" answered and jumped to Watanuki's shoulder. "So, when do you leave?"

"Not now" refused the man to answer. He didn't even know the exact time, but the sooner, the better.

"In this case" started the black creature. "Where are my portions of OHAGIIIII?"


	3. Chapter 3

Mokona' s impatient vexing for Ohagi made the two girls wake up. Once awoke, both joined Mokona's crying, and danced around the young sorcerer.

"Okay, okay, just shut up" Watanuki gave up. The constant crying made him nervous, because his ears were very sensitive. " Go to the living room and I will bring your snack."

"Ohagi, Ohagiii" The three comrades were happily singing while running into the room.

"And put on some clothes!" Cried after them, but he wasn't sure the girls heard his words.

But even if they heard, didn't mean they would have obeyed him, because they all belonged to Ichihara Yuuko. Their unconditional obedience belonged to her, and only her. Maru and Moro worked well with Watanuki, but just if they wanted to work with him. When they had anything else in their heads, they simply ignored Watanuki. But the young sorcerer never were resentful of their behavior. The two girls were also waiting for their mistress to return, and while she was out, they were just settled with her ex-apprentice.

They were all in the same boat. He was also waiting. Waiting for her to walk into the shop in any minute and nagging him for a complicated meal, as the years of separation never ever happened.

But she never came. Well, to be precise, she never came back to the shop. Watanuki met her here or there in the worlds through the years, and he was happy to see her. Overly happy. He never knew the length of time they could spend together. He was just silently enjoyed every second being with her with trembling soul, and every farewell wounded his heart until he was bleeding and crying from the ache of the relived separation.

Despite the pain, he was also waiting for these meetings. Although the length of these meeting shortened, and the interval between them is extended. Their last meeting last a mere day, long ago. So long ago, Watanuki didn't want to count. He felt with his sixth sense, her absence was somehow against her will. He started to worry for her, which he didn't do during the years. He felt that she is in trouble, despite her invigorated strength. So instead of waiting for her patiently, he started to search for her.

It was everything, but easy. Ichihara Yuuko was an expert of vanishing. She could erase all of the traces of her presence from any place she visited. That's why Watanuki didn't received any hints or a mere rumor about her. This was a miracle. A big one. Because from the holy spirits to the trash of the worlds knew that every hint of Ichihara Yuuko's whereabouts was highly rewarded. So everybody was eager to find her. Or any little piece of information about her. Without any success. There were none.

None until today. Watanuki squeezed his fingers around the medal, and smiled. His hopes renewed, his heart filled with happiness, and his disturbed, worrying soul calmed down a bit. Yuuko-san seemed to be alive, and she probably continued her wandering safely, if she had sold her medal. But somehow this wasn't like her. She always treated her belongings like those were nothing, she was carefree to give them to anybody, who asked for them. But this necklace was precious to her. That's why Zashiki-Warashi guessed right. The young sorcerer immediately wanted to travel to Koryo, to check that mud lark. Maybe he just stole that medal from the woman. Or made some bargain with her, to have the medal. In this case he met her and he had to have some information about Ichihara Yuuko.

His house-mates didn't share his worries, and the constant chanting for Ohagi didn't allowed him to lost in his thoughts. He had tasks to complete also in this house.

The girls miraculously changed their pajamas to normal clothes, set the table, and they were sitting nicely at the table's opposite sides. Between them Mokona was waiting on the table for the snack. Three pairs of eyes lightened up, as Watanuki put a huge pile of Ohagi onto the middle of the small table. The exact same table, where he was serving Ohagi for the first time to them and Yuuko-san. He was touched with the memory, and his ex-employer's fainted image next to the table, among his friends made him a bit sad. Pain stabbed to his heart, which made the thought of traveling more urgent, and amplified his wavering emotions.

He left the girls and the black dumpling alone, walking out of the room to the veranda. Suddenly the light of dawn was replaced by pitch black. He was in the same place, but at night.

"Good evening" A nice face greeted him with a smile.

"Haruka-san! Good evening!" Watanuki smiled back to his old mentor.

"It is dark, isn't it?" Haruka-san asked him, puckering his brows.

"Yes, it is darker than usual" Watanuki agreed.

"Did something important happened?" Doumeki Haruka asked the sorcerer with a puzzling look in his eyes. Watanuki simply nodded. "Care to tell me?"

"Yuuko-san" The young man stated happily.

"Have you finally found her?"

Watanuki shook his head, and stretched out his arm, opened his palm to show the medal to his mentor.

"It is hers."

"Yes, definitely." The older man nodded, and suddenly lost in his thoughts.

He barely noticed the enthusiastic young man explaining how he got the medal, and about his plans. He got out a cigarette, and started to smoke.

"Haruka-san..." Watanuki asked him in hesitation. The behavior of his mentor started to worry him. " Are there any problems?"

" Problems?" He smiled back, and exhaled a big amount of smoke. "No, I don't think so."

Watanuki waited. Both Haruka-san, and Ichihara Yuuko started to tell bad news in this manner. His emotions whirling together with his stomach. He closed his fingers around the medal, and tried not to think for the worst of possibilities.

"It is not really a problem, but it is darker, than usual, you also noticed, right?"

The young sorcerer nodded.

"Have you noticed anything else unusual around you?"

Watanuki started to think, but there wasn't anything unusual.

"Well, I said unusual, but I should have said something usual. Something which is familiar, but it seems it is not in the right place."

"I don't really understand." Watanuki lost in his thoughts for a moment. "There is not any trace of time-slips. It was in the old times, when I lost in worlds. I am able to notice, if I am not in the right place."

"I didn't say that you are at guilt. I wanted to say, it is probably you soon will meet the twins."

"Twins?" The young man was surprised. "What kind of twins?"

"I said twins, but they are literally twins. Same or similar events, already happened in the past, persons who look like they were already lived and met with you, familiar, or same situations which were already happened with you."

"There are not any." Watanuki shook his head. "But..."

"But?" Haruka asked him knowingly.

"Your grandson's great-grandson. Yasuhiro-kun. He exactly looks like you too. It is such a bloodline."

"In this case, please look at the events of your life more carefully. Maybe some more people from the past will eventually show up."

"Why? How? What does this mean?" Watanuki asked his mentor with a worrying look. He never heard about the twins, and started to be confused.

"It means you are closing a circle."

"Closing a circle?" He was surprised.

"Finishing a circle. A time-loop. You have lived for long, have you?" Haruka-san didn't wait for Watanuki's answer."Long life means you don't die, but carry on living. While the others step out of living and step into for several times in your life. Average people do not alter their appearance so much at rebirth, so you could meet them in their new body, which is their old one, you know. Even if they change their looks, their lessons often stays the same, and you could meet them by events, they could draw you into their lessons again. These are the twins."

"So if I meet them, it says I have drawn a circle."

"I would rather say, you are closing the circle." The priest corrected him.

"Which means..."

"Which means you draw a full circle. You will connect the two ends with the twins, and your circle is complete."

"What will happen when someone draw a full circle?"

Watanuki's heart started to shake. The things, Haruka-san implied, meant end. And end usually meant death. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die without living a full life with Yuuko-san. Suddenly, he didn't want to hear the answer for his question.

"A circle has been drawn." Haruka-san stated simply. "But I think you are curious about what will happen after the end, aren't you?" He waited for Watanuki to nod, and continued. "It is up to you."

"Will I die?"

"There's no such thing as death." Haruka-san upbraided the young sorcerer."You should have already known."

"Yeah." Watanuki agreed with his mentor. "But I love this place, this life, the people around me. I want to be here until… no, I want call this place my home forever."

"And you wouldn't mind to have her in your home, would you?" His mentor laughed. Either on Watanuki, or on his wish, the young man couldn't decide, and the older one didn't tell him. "Be careful on your way." Haruka-san pointed to Watanuki's fisted hand. "Don't die before finding her!"

"I won't." Promised the young sorcerer, and before he could mention, that everybody is worrying for him, the dream vanished.

Watanuki took a big breath, and wanted to walk back to the house, gathering his belongings for the trip to Koryo, when a young man rushed through the shop's gate. He carried a backpack and two little girls.

"I … have … a … wish ..." He panted.


End file.
